The anticipated loss of European funds in the European Union's new long-term budget has been the main theme in the Portuguese EU election campaign, which are seen as a warming up for the national elections in October. EURACTIV’s media partner Lusa reports.

The Portuguese candidates for the EU elections from centre-left and left parties PS, PSD, PCP and BE, have voiced concern about the planned budget cuts in the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). The conservative CDS party criticised the Lisbon government's "tragic inability" to draw on these funds. EURACTIV’s media partner Lusa reports.

Six months before the European elections, the right-wing CDS People’s Party (CDS-PP) and the Left Bloc (BE) are the only Portuguese parties to have presented their leading candidates. Other parties postponed announcing candidates for the end of this year or the start of 2019. EURACTIV’s media partner Lusa reports.

Portuguese MEPs José Manuel Fernandes (PSD) and Pedro Silva Pereira (PS) agree on the importance of European structural funds in public investment, although the former says it is "worrying" and the latter considers it "strategic". EURACTIV's media partner Lusa reports.

The ‘vinhos verdes’ (green wines) of northwestern Portugal have no direct international competitors, but their producers nevertheless want the European Union to safeguard the regional demarcations in its trade accords with foreign markets, local officials said. EURACTIV’s partner Lusa reports.